What Will the Metaverse Mean for Online Gambling?
Published December 17, 2021 by Sol FH
We've all heard the word "Meta" now, but what does the Metaverse mean for online casinos?
Will the Metaverse be able to change online gambling forever? Perhaps. The term Metaverse has been around for quite some time, but, ever since Mark Zuckerberg changed the name of Facebook to Meta, things are starting to become quite well-known on a global stage.
If you were lucky enough to see Stephen Spielberg's hit "Ready Player One," then you already know what the Metaverse could be like in a few years' time. Entering a completely immersive virtual world, where you can become anyone, do anything, and realize your most incredible dreams.
The Metaverse essentially changes the 2-dimension internet we've come accustomed to into a 3-dimensional one, that is completely immersive.
Online Gambling has a unique offering for the future of the Metaverse, and there are already some brands working on the next big thing for real money metaverse casinos.
Get Your Headset On
One of the most iconic aspects of the Metaverse is the need for VR headsets in order to access the virtual world. Meta recently partnered with Ray-Ban to develop a new, less bulky headset that could essentially change the entire game if they work the way they are supposed to, but, time will tell.
Today, using a VR headset like the Oculus Quest is the only way to truly experience the metaverse and there is already a lot that can be done.
Your virtual identity is represented however you wish in the Metaverse and you can choose or design your own. Purchasing things like NFTs (non-fungible tokens, we will discuss in a later article), can be done from a virtual marketplace, you can interact in real-time with family and friends, and, you can play VR Casino Games at VR Casinos.
VR Casino Payments
Now, we mentioned NFTs because they and cryptocurrency will be the way things are paid for in the metaverse. Many online casinos have opted-in to allow for crypto payments and there are a ton of Bitcoin/crypto casinos online today. But, the metaverse will be truly different. You will walk into a VR Casino and see everything right in front of you. You can walk to the slot, put a VR crypto token or NFT token into a VR slot machine and watch the reels spin right in front of your eyes.
Next, you'll be able to interact with other players at the casino, take a walk to the bar and sip a martini in between rounds (well, you'll need to mix the drink at home for the time being). You'll be able to sit down at a blackjack table and almost feel the cards and your chips right on the table and if you win, the dealer will push crypto chips into your stack.
VR Sports Betting
Now, if the thought of walking into a VR Casino is cool, what about attending an NFL game through your VR headset, right on the field! Well, that's something that is being developed now in order for pro sports leagues to reach a great number of people. And...you'll be able to walk up to a VR Bookmaker and place a bet using cryptocurrency on your favorite team.
Back in August, none other than Atari announced that its ultra-popular Decentraland would be adding a cryptocurrency-based casino to its metaverse. This is huge news as Decentraland is one of the biggest spaces in the field today.
There are some very big things happening in the world of Play-to-Earn, NFT, Web3.0, Metaverse, and cryptocurrency verticals and they will all impact the future of online gaming. We will look at a different aspect of the future of gambling weekly, so be sure to check out the series.
